Trouble Brews in Egi Kingdom Over $30m Total Energy Gas Eruption Fund 

Trouble is currently brewing in Egi Kingdom of Rivers State over the alleged dethronement of the Eze Egi, HRM Victor Egbo Elenwa, by the Egi Council of Traditional Rulers and Chiefs.

The Tide learnt that the alleged dethronement was in connection with the $30 million Total Energy gas eruption fund to Egi community.

According to the chairman of the Egi Council of Traditional Rulers and Chiefs, Chief Zion Nwabueze Omekwe, the Eze Egi was dethroned because of his alleged move to convert the money for his personal use.

According to Chief Zion, after discovery that the money was intact contrary to earlier speculation that it was embezzled, the council of chiefs called on Eze Victor to forget about the prosecution of sons and daughters of the Kingdom but he refused.

Chief Zion who spoke to newsmen during the Igwu Achi festival at his palace at Obiyebe, recently, said there was a problem in the council concerning the refusal of Eze Egi to forgo the prosecution of some sons and daughters of the Kingdom.

He said, “There is a problem between Eze Egi and sons of Egi kingdom over $30 million. I am the chairman, when we went into the matter, we find out that we were accusing some people wrongly.

“We called on Eze Egi that now that we have found out that this money ($30 million) is intact, there is no need prosecuting our sons and daughters, let us make peace so that Egi kingdom will move forward but he refused, not knowing that he had a hidden agenda whereby this money will be paid to his own personal account.”

Chief Zion alleged that the Egi monarch even went as far as tricking them by employing the services of one Oceania contractor to raise a document for them to sign so that the money will be paid to his account

“Upon all the advice we gave to him, he refused, but rather he is focused in getting the money.

“This money is an eruption money. This money was in agreement between Egi people and Total Energy which is $30million and this $30million are specified in different positions.

“The institutions have their own quotas, the Egi people have their own quotas and the one we will use for projects in Egi “he said.

He said despite the Council’s plea, the Egi monarch went on to suspend him and the secretary of the Egi Council of Traditional Rulers and Chiefs, Chief London Oleanya from the Council.

Corroborating Chief Zion’s allegation, Chief Oleanya said Eze Elenwa breached the constitution of the Council by suspending him and the chairman of the Council.

He said $30 million was paid by Total Energy to the Egi people in 2014, adding that after several litigations, a consent judgement was reached between the people and Total Energy.

Oleanya said even the Inspector General of Police and the EFCC received petitions to this effect from Eze Elenwa and advised them to go back home and resolve the matter amicably.

He, however, said the issue of their suspension from the Council is already before an Omoku High Court

However, in a reaction, the Special Assistant on Media to Eze Elenwa, Engr Denis Ile, described the alleged dethronement of the Egi monarch as provocative, adding that both Eze Zion and Chief Oleanya have no powers to dethrone the Egi monarch since they are no longer members of the Egi Council of Traditional Rulers and Chiefs.

According to a WhatsApp message he posted

“The Egi Kingdom Traditional Institution has issued an official response condemning the recent false and provocative statements made by the suspended former Chairman and Secretary of the Egi Kingdom Council of Traditional Rulers and Chiefs, Chief Zion Omekwe and Chief Oleanya London.

“In a press statement released at the weekend, the Egi Kingdom Council described the duo’s claim of “dethroning His Royal Majesty, Eze Victor Egbo Elenwa JP (Eze Egi III, Eze Ogba-Ukwu of Ogba-land) as baseless, laughable, and legally invalid.

“Eze Victor Egbo Elenwa remains the undisputed and legally recognized monarch of Egi Kingdom.”

Ile called on the public to disregard the falsehoods and support the preservation of the sacred traditional institution.

He further called on the Rivers State Administrator and the security agencies to call Chief Zion and Chief Oleanya to order, as their actions could cause breach of peace and communal war in the oil rich Egi kingdom.

By: John Bibor